Delta for peace, justice

Pampanga registered a 35 percent drop in recorded index crimes for January-June 2019, compared to the same period last year: 438 to 674.

Theft still tops the crime charts at 134, with robbery – basically theft with the use of force – and physical injury with 88 each. No statistics on the gravest crimes of homicide, murder, and rape though was included in the news of the police report of accomplishment.

Still, and all, it makes a cause for some recognition given the relative minimality of the incidents vis-à-vis the population of Pampanga placed at some 2.2 million.

In the joint campaign made of the provincial government and the provincial police office against illegal drugs for the period in review, the numbers are good too – “1,564 operations conducted resulting to the arrest of 1,799 drug personalities, confiscation of large quantity of illegal drugs and loose firearms.” It would have been better – definitely more impressive – had the last two aspects quantified in actual numbers, especially the peso worth of the former. No numbers too on the number of casualties in the anti-drug operations.

Still, Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda is well within reason to congratulate the Pampanga police led by Col. Jean Fajardo for a good job and reaffirm: “Rest assured that I will continue to support the police personnel who take the initiative and efforts in conducting police operations against all forms of criminality especially on Illegal drugs.”

Speaking of the governor, he deserves all accolades too for personally thwarting last week the execution of an Aeta man pursuant to some tribal customary law that directly conflicts with the country’s criminal justice system.

Having pacified the cry for vengeance of the off ended party with material settlement of the blood debt of the accused, actually a stand-in for his dead father who committed the crime, Pineda has initiated the review of tribal customary laws still extant among the indigenous people in Pampanga with the end in view of subjugating these to the laws of the Republic.